Sleep training part 2...

The first night of trying to get my son to sleep through the night again was a nightmare. The second night I decided to try a different tactic. Getting him to sleep was a little better. I again waited until he was very sleepy and then put him in his crib. He popped up as soon as I laid him down. But this time he seemed to know that I wouldn't pick him up. I put him back down and rubbed his belly. He only did this a few times and I was able to get out of his room within a half hour. Much better than the two hours spent the night before.

I couldn't believe how quickly he had learned to go to sleep on his own so I was hopeful that this night would be better. I soon found out that it was different, not necessarily better. Two hours after he went to bed, I heard him stand up and start crying. I went into his room and laid him down. Rubbed his belly and this time he stayed down. I waited until his breathing was steady and I knew he was asleep. I moved away from his crib toward the door but he sensed me leaving and picked his head up. He started to stand up but I went back toward the crib and he stayed down. I had brought a pillow in with me and I laid on the floor. I was too tired to stand there all night but I was determined to make him stay in the crib. He seemed to know that I was still in the room and that comforted him. He was fast asleep within minutes and I was able to go back to my comfy bed.

He did wake a couple more times that night but each time was a little better. He was getting to sleep faster and staying asleep for longer.

I was still tired when I woke up for work. He woke up and I again made a big deal of it being morning and now he could come out of his crib. I was hoping that it wouldn't take much longer. It is funny how you adjust your life to accommodate your child. I would do anything for him, even if means sleeping in two hour spurts and laying on a floor in the middle of the night.